Under the Cover of the Night
by Lydia609
Summary: A small difference will impact the entire world, with anything concerning Naruto. So when Kyūbi decides to hasten up Naruto's development, what would happen? What would change? Who would die? And who wouldn't? ANBU!Rinnegan!Naruto
1. Sensei

The villagers were slowly approaching. They were drunk; it was the Kyūbi Festival again. And they were looking for the "demon". Unfortunately for said "demon", his ANBU guards were down to two instead of the usual three-man squad, due to a sudden mission. The two present was busy trying to apprehend a group of drunk shinobi, chūnins mostly. That left him open to attacks. Uzumaki Naruto wove through the crowd and tried to find a dark corner to hide in. He found one at one of the more deserted areas of Konohagakure no Sato, but his doom came upon him when he realized that also meant that he had nowhere to escape. He tried climbing over the wall at the end of the alley, but it was too tall for the five-year-old. He backed away from the leering villagers and tried to tune out his assualters' cries of "Demon!", "You will die tonight!", "This is for my mother/father/brother/sister/cousin/son/daughter/et cetera!". He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He would be fine. He had always survived these attacks, whether it be that one of the masked people, the ANBU, came for him, or that he just dodged their blows so that they would be less painful and ran away. He would survive this attack. He had to, to make the village acknowledge him. But this time, he had nowhere to dodge. over and over they hit him, but Naruto just screwed his eyes shut and endured. Finally, when someone came at him with a knife, his panicked. He opened his eyes. A voice that was not really his own called out with the authority of a god, "Shinra Tensei."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi was scared shitless. Not that it could be seen through his mask, erm, masks. The cold feeling in his chest had gradually wound itself into a tight curl. He was now flitting across the rooftops, tracking the scent of his five-year-old charge. He would not let his sensei's child, and Uzumaki Naruto die. He stopped abruptly at the sight of a large dust cloud and several buildings collapsing slightly in front of him. 'The Kyūbi? No, there is no demonic chakra. A shinobi who decided to use some Doton no jutsu against a defenseless kid? Impossible. All shinobi, even the genins know to kill as easily as possible. Unless the standards have lowered? Oh, I guess there's only one way to find out,' Kakashi thought. He increased his speed.

Kakashi gaped at the sight in front of him. It looked as if Naruto had produced a chakra shockwave to push everything and everyone away from him, and then passed out from chakra exhaustion, but to do so without using Kyūbi's chakra would be impossible for his age. He decided to report the matter to Hokage-sama. It wasn't his job to wonder. The civilians were already taken away to T&I for aspiring T&I specialists, and they would die soon. The youngsters weren't careful. This brought a hate-filled smile onto Kakashi's face, behind his masks. They deserved to die by torture after attacking a mere child. He scooped the unconscious Naruto up and headed to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi frowned. This had to end. Every time it happened, he told himself the same thing. But he had never come up with a soluton, neither did it stop on its own. Even though he was more than willing to take care of Naruto, he was an ANBU captain. Which meant missions coming in one after another. He couldn't just stick Naruto into a clan, though. Most clans would not tolerate him. And the only way to ensure his safety was either assign the entire ANBU to watch him or place him with a large group of non-hostile shinobi. Wait... That's it! The entire ANBU and a large group of non-hostile shinobi! Oh, this once more proves him a genius. He would talk to Hokage-sama about this.

* * *

"Kakashi, er Inu, are you sure about this? Moving Naruto into ANBU HQ? Most in ANBU are a bit mad, you know. No offense, but you know it's true," the Hokage said.

"None taken, but yes, it is true. Still, it's better than leaving him on the streets. At least some are more or less sane and all can tell the difference between a sealing scroll and the object sealed inside. Besides, you said you recognize the eyes, we'll have to start training him if it's really the Rinnegan," Kakashi argued.

The Sandaime Hokage puffed on his pipe and sighed. "It is the Rinnegan. There is no doubt to that. Jiraiya gave me a description when one of his students in Ame unlocked the kekkei genkai. It fits the description exactly. Purple, ringed, eyes with no sclerae. Oh, well, I suppose the safest Naruto-kun can get is inside a secret base of powerful ninja. I grant your request, Inu," he said. 'More importantly, Danzō doesn't go there.'

Kakashi visibly relaxed, and said in a merry tone, "Well, I'll start moving his stuff over. We still have a few rooms, and since there's only one recruit this year, we should more than enough space. Goodbye, Hokage-sama.", and left via shunshin.

* * *

Kakashi appeared at the front desk of the orphanage, almost giving the poor receptionist a heart attack. He dictated in a monotone, "Please give me Uzumaki Naruto's things. He will no longer be residing here."

The _civilian_ receptionist's shocked expression turned into one of joy, "Hokage-sama is finally going to execute him, eh? Serves the demon brat right! Here you go ANBU-san," she said, giving him a piece of paper covered in sealing script. He squinted at it as the receptionist went to collect the rest Naruto's stuff. The sealing script looked familiar, though it was the handwriting that he recognized. He could recognize it, even if it was sealing script. He smiled. Apparently his name and whatever other stuff Naruto had would not be his only inheritance. The footsteps of the receptionist echoed in the empty hallways as she came out of one of the rooms. Looking up, Kakashi saw a little orange fox and a green frog wallet dangling from the receptionist's hands. "Is that all?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the meagre belongings. The receptionist smiled and nodded. Kakashi took the two and shunshin-ed directly into Naruto's ward in the hospital. Seeing the boy sitting on the bed, fully clothed, he took the boy's hand and started walking out of the hospital.

"Hey, ANBU-san! Where are you taking me?" the boy's panicked voice cut through the air. "I mean, you haven't hurt me once yet, and you're always here to protect me, but I want to know where we are going!" Kakashi sighed internally. Hadn't Hokage-sama told him?!

"We're going to ANBU headquaters. You're moving in with me. Oh yeah, before you ask, Hokage-sama ordered this, so you can come safely," Kakashi said while still pulling the boy with him. The boy nodded, and his eyes lost the panicked look. After a while, he heard a small whisper next to him.

"I killed them, didn't I? Does that make me a monster?" Naruto whispered sadly.

"No, Naruto, it doesn't. In fact, most of us have killed more times than we can ever count. Most of us do it for a living, sometimes literally, sometimes not. But in ANBU it is always "kill-it-before-it-kills-you". This is the life of a shinobi, an ANBU, cruel, harsh, but straight-forward. But this does not justify killing for joy, as some do," Kakashi replied. Naruto nodded and, to his surprise, smiled a little.

"I want to be a shinobi, one day. Then I can make them acknowledge me," Naruto proclaimed. Kakashi laughed a little. Of course this was his dream.

"Okay, Naruto, this will be your room. My room is across the hallway, so if you need anything, just knock on my door. We're welcoming our new recruit tomorrow, so you'll get to meet most of us then. I'm sure they'll adore you," Kakashi said. "Now go to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto nodded and stepped into his room carefully. It was bare, with just a single bed and a plain blanket folded at the foot of the bed.

There was another chest of drawers at the corner of the room, and door leading to what he guessed was the bathroom. He shrugged and set his fox on his bed, and placed the wallet on top of the chest of drawers. Feeling extremely tired, he collapsed on the bed.  
Kakashi suddenly woke to sounds of a child tossing and turning in their bed. He immediately sat up and went to check on Naruto. Naruto was tossing around, though he did not seem too stressed, a typical sign of nightmares. He had enough of them himself to know. Instead, his facial expression was changing rapidly, from shock to anger and to confusion. He decided to watch the boy.

* * *

_A dank sewer. The sound of dripping water. And the sound of growling. That was what Naruto woke to. He stepped forward tentatively, toward the sound of growling. A cage suddenly loomed out of the shadows. A huge cage, with a paper with the character "_Fūin_" on it. He stepped forward again and a pair of slitted red eyes appeared in the gloom past the bars.  
_

_A voice growled out, "_We need to talk, gaki._"  
_

_Naruto moved back and asked in a wavering voice, "_Who are you?_" He heard a sigh.  
_

_"_I'm Kyūbi no Kitsune, and the Yondaime Hokage sealed me into you because being made of chakra cannot be destroyed. Got it? Now shut up and let me talk_."  
_

_Naruto nodded hesitatingly, his young mind trying process the information. He heard Hokage-jiji talk about chakra before, and since Kyūbi is sealed inside him it would explain the hateful looks he got. What he could not understand, though, is why Kyūbi seemed so neutral about its sealing, as well as the moderate, if slightly impatient tone Kyūbi used. He always pictured Kyūbi to be mad, given the amount of people it killed during its attack on Konoha. This Kyūbi seemed quite sane. Kyūbi continued, "_Now, I'm sure you're wondering how you killed those civillians. It is not you who killed them, but it wasn't me either. Well, I'm kind of responsible, since I gave you the thing that you used to kill them... Ah, well, anyway, tell you what, you have a dōjutsu, the most powerful of the Three Great Dōjutsu, the Rinnegan. The Eyes of the Rikudō Sennin, the creator of all jutsu and the ninja world. Basically, from here, I can sort of alter your body slightly. I wanted to give you the Eien Mangekyō Sharingan, but it turned out to be this..._"  
_

_Kyūbi trailed off at Naruto's blank look. "_Okay, I tried to give you a very powerful thing, but it turned out to be a more powerful thing, alright?_" Kyūbi snapped. "_Got it?_"  
Naruto stared at Kyūbi. There was just something he did not understand. "_Why? You are the greatest of all demons. You should hate all humanity, and especially me, since I'm your jailor. So why did you give me the weird thingy?_" he whispered.  
_

_Kyūbi snorted and said, "_Of course. Should've known you'd ask that. All of you say that. I'm just a demon, a stupid being. Well, you know what? I am just your normal demon. I do hate you humans for imprisoning me and using me so many times, but I was under a genjutsu when I attacked Konoha. As to why I want to help you, well, I don't want to die, and I need a favor from you. When you have mastered your eyes, you should be able to do this for me. I want to kill someone for me. His name is Uchiha Madara, or so he says. He wears a mask, and has black hair. Oh, and one more thing before you wake up: try to make your mindscape more pleasant? My last mindscape was a forest, kind of like the forest surrounding Konoha. Maybe a flower-filled meadow? It would be more pleasant for you as well the next time I call you in. Well, until next time, kit._"_

_Then, with a roar, __Kyūbi expelled Naruto from his mindscape. '_He's an interesting kid; always getting back up after being beaten. I'd like to see how he will use that 'gift' of mine._'_

* * *

Naruto sat up with a jolt. Kakashi watched him carefully by the side of his bed, measuring his expression. Naruto seemed shocked, but it seemed to be just information overload. Kakashi was about to ask him what was wrong when he plopped down and fell asleep again. Kakashi sighed quietly and left.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto was woken by the bustling sounds in the ANBU headquaters. True to Kakashi's word, most of the ANBU were back for the new recruit. It was a big event each year as not many join ANBU. Naruto peeked out of his door, and seeing many bloodied ANBU walking past, stuck his head back in immediately. It was an unpleasant sight, even if he was used to blood. He walked into the bathroom and saw it already stocked with the necessary toiletries. He grinned, and began washing up.  
The mess hall was filled ANBU that could make it as they waited for their new recruit. Some chose to keep their masks on, and some did not. As they waited for their new recruit, Naruto was already taken an liking to by many of the female ANBU. After all, everyone had a motherly side. Kakashi was talking to one of them, Neko, who decided that she would have a hand in his studies, when the hall fell silent. Their new recruit arrived.

Everyone stared at the black-haired child. Naruto whispered quietly, "How old is he?" Kakashi answered, "Uh, ten, I think. Quite young, but still a chūnin." He stepped forward. "Welcome, Uchiha Itachi, to Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai. You will be Karasu from now on. I am Inu, your buntaichō. You have been assigned a room as per protocol, but you are not required to occupy it. You may use it to recuperate or clean up after missions, though. I am aware you have a little brother. Your ANBU gear is in the room. Good luck, and in ANBU, everyone needs it." Itachi nodded and left silently, wordlessly. Kakashi turned to address the crowd of ANBU, "Hokage-sama has ordered someone to live here from now on. I would like all of you to be nice, don't freak him out, don't attack him, protect him, and if you have the time, try to start his shinobi training. He will be targeted for more than one reason, which Hokage-sama has not mentioned. Well, come on, Naruto." Naruto stepped forward, visibly shaking from the gazes of the trained killers concentrated on him. At his appearance, all of the ANBU gave a collective sound of understanding and pity, though many also raised questions about his eyes.

"Hey, Inu? You know what's wrong with his eyes?" Neko asked.

"It is the Rinnegan," a quiet voice answered her. Everyone whirled to see Itachi standing at the side, watching Naruto carefully.

"Are you sure, Karasu? I thought the Rinnegan was a myth?" Neko, or Uzuki Yūgao asked.

Itachi shook his head and said, "It is not. The Rinnegan's existence is documented in my clan's records." Everyone drew in a breath at this. Hokage-sama made a wise choice. No one noticed how Itachi's tone twisted at the mention of his clan.

* * *

Naruto tagged along behind Kakashi as he went to talk to Itachi. Knocking on his door, Itachi came out. "Yes, taichō?" he asked tonelessly.

"I want you tell Naruto here about the Rinnegan; it would make his training easier," Kakashi replied.

Itachi shook his head. "There is no description of its abilities, only that it was the eyes of the Rikudō Sennin, the creator of the ninja world. I'm sorry, taichō, but I can't help Naruto-kun with this. All I can do is train him in the shinobi arts," Itachi said.

"Then do so, training ground forty-seven is an ANBU-only training ground, and it isn't booked today." Kakashi said merrily, "See you around, there shouldn't be missons in these few days."

Itachi stared incredulously at the retreating back of his captain. He was expected to train the child. Shouldn't they, of all people, be most against early training? His attitude towards it was clear; he had asked his father not to train his otōto until Sasuke was older. Kakashi would be against it as well, given his past. To start killing from five had to be a bad experience. What was he trying to do. However, thinking over it, it was logical. Naruto-kun held the most powerful of the Bijū, and possessed what could be described as the most powerful kekkei genkai. This was to protect him. Also, if his theory that Yondaime-sama was Naruto-kun's father was correct, then he would have Iwa after him. Even if he wasn't, Iwa would still attempt to destroy him for being a Yondaime look-alike. All this, placing him in ANBU, training him, was to keep him and his secret safe. He walked over to what he knew was Naruto's room and knocked on the door.

Kakashi was asking Naruto about his dreams last night. He took note of what Naruto told him and decided to report it to Hokage-sama, and was about to leave when a knock sounded on his door. He opened it and Itachi said, "I'll train him, but I want others to help as well. It would be good if we found a kenjutsu master, since my kenjutsu is mediocre at best. I can teach him shurikenjutsu, genjutsu, and maybe a bit of nin and taijutsu. I'm sure you can teach him ninjutsu, but we'll have to find a taijutsu master and someone to teach him how to use his eyes."

Kakashi nodded and eye-smiled. "Uzuki Yūgao, Neko, can teach him kenjutsu; she is proficient and is also going out with the expert, Gekkō Hayate. I'll ask Naruto to ask Kyūbi if it knows anything about the eyes." He was rewarded by the look of shock on Itachi's face when he mentioned Kyūbi. "Kyūbi is a sentient being with thousands of years of information. Also, it was under a genjutsu when it attacked Konoha," Kakashi explained. Itachi nodded uncomfortably. _'Only the Sharingan could control Bijū. Was it really the clan?' _

"Naruto-kun, from now on, I will be teaching you shurikenjutsu, genjutsu, and if you are a katon user, katon ninjutsu. Kakashi-sempai will teach you raiton and doton jutsu if you are a doton or raiton user. Neko-sempai, you've met her earlier, will teach you kenjutsu. Also, ask Kyūbi about your dōjutsu; we can't help you with that, even if we are both dōjutsu users," Itachi said.

Kakashi continued, "First, your chakra nature," holding out a piece of chakra paper, "You channel chakra into it, and we'll see what we can teach you." Naruto nodded, took the paper, and pushed energy into it. To his surprise, he could see the chakra flowing into the paper.

"I can see it," he whispered. The two ANBU was watching in fascination as the paper was sliced open into four parts.

"Well, you're a fūton-" Kakashi began and watched as the paper continued to change. One part of the paper turned to dirt. Another burnt up. Yet another turned soggy and fell to the floor. The last piece crinkled up. The two stared at Naruto.

"All five! This is mad!" Kakashi muttered. Itachi agreed silently, eyes wide.

"We'll have to report this to Hokage-sama," Itachi said. "Perhaps it is an effect of Rinnegan?"

The two ANBU sat Naruto down and asked him to meditate and call on Kyūbi.

* * *

_Naruto, having successfully enetered his sewer, could not find Kyūbi. He decided to do the one thing to alert Kyūbi of his presence. He focused, and pictured his surrounding to be one of a flowered meadow, just as Kyūbi asked for. Almost immediately, he heard Kyūbi's chuckles rumble thriugh his meadow, and he ran towards it. It was nice, he decided, to have a beautiful meadow as his mindscape. The Fox's voice rang through his mindscape, _'Good work, kit. You sure got my attention now. Well, what is it?'

'Uh, I, uh, want to ask you if you know anything about the Rinnegan,' _Naruto stammered._

'Oh. The eyes, eh? I'll teach you how to use them here, and since its your mindscape, we will be able to wrack up a few good training grounds. How about this, kit? I'll call you in whenever I want to teach you, but I'd prefer you tell me when your mealtimes are. I'll adjust my nap-times so. At other times, don't wake me up unless someone you can't handle is trying to kill you. You will refer to me as "sensei", by the way,' _Kyūbi replied. _

'Kyūbi-sensei?'

'No, that is merely what you humans call me. My name is Kurama, and Kurama-sensei to you.'

'Hai, Kurama-sensei. See you next time.'

'Thanks, kit, for the change of scenery. I like the smells.'

* * *

"Well?" Kakashi asked.

"Kurama-sensei has agreed to teach me how to use my eyes," Naruto answered.

"Kurama...Is Kyūbi, right? I've read records of the Bijū being given individual names. Some go by them, like Ichibi Shukaku, some, like Kyūbi, do not," Itachi commented.

Naruto nodded and smiled brightly, widely, like Gai's smile stripped of the "flames of youth" exclamation, and asked, "When can I start training?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, that was the first chapter of this story. Thank you for reading, and I would like your feedback on anything concerning this story, from the title to perhaps translations for the Japanese terms.**

**Remember, review make me a happy author and happy authors update faster. :)**


	2. End of the ANBU Trio

_For all those too lazy to do the calculations, this is three years later._

Naruto had been accepted into ANBU at age 6, and was assigned on a squad with Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi. He now had a constant schedule of studying kenjutsu with Uzuki Yūgao, studying genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and katon jutsu with Uchiha Itachi, studying doton and raiton jutsu with Hatake Kakashi. He worked on fūton jutsu from scrolls, and quickly discovered it appeared to be his original element affinity, since he was most comfortable using it. He was jointly coached in suiton jutsu and taijutsu by Itachi and Kakashi. Ever since he discovered he was able to combine elements in theory, he had asked Tenzō to try to teach him Mokuton ninjutsu, but he hadn't been met with much progress. He now had an impressive chakra control for his chakra amount, since he could see his chakra output with his Rinnegan, and had learnt Chikushōdō, Gakidō, and Tendō jutsus from Kurama. He was now one of the most promising ANBU, and even earned a moniker for himself as the Kami-Kitsune, in relation to his Kitsune mask and control over the five elements and gravity. He was proud of his job as a Konoha shinobi, and though he had been unsettled by his first kill, he quickly got over it and adapted to the lifestyle of a shinobi. But he had not seen the darkest of Konoha. Not many did.

Uchiha Itachi was one of the few who saw the darkest of Konoha. It pained him greatly, as well as his mission. This could not be kept from his colleagues, however hard he tried. He became stressed and tired easily due to the many sleepless nights he spent staring at the celing of his room, trying to plan out his mission so nothing could go wrong. Of course, his squadmates noticed.

"So, mind telling us why you're so distracted these days?" Kakashi asked while they were walking back to ANBU HQ after reporting to the Hokage.

"I am not," Itachi stated simply.

"Yes you are," Naruto retorted. "You've been spending more time in HQ after missions, only returning to the compound hours later. You say it is to train me, and I am glad for the extra training, but we all know it's because you're avoiding your family. You used to rush back after training me and to keep little Sasuke company. What happened?"

Itachi remained silent, and, opting for a change in subject, said, "Sasuke isn't little. You two are the same age. In fact, you're younger than him."

"Don't change the subject," Naruto and Kakashi said simultaneously.

"Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sempai, I am not going to tell you," Itachi said resolutely. "It is my business."

"You said it like it was your burden, and you have to shoulder it on your own. It's always been a problem for you, Itachi. Open up a bit, you know that we can keep whatever secrets you have. There isn't anyone we can talk to. EveryoI hげねんis dead, and Naruto doesn't have anyone except for us and Hokage-sama," Kakashi prompted.

Itachi remained studiously tight-lipped. "I'll ask Hokage-jii," Naruto threatened. They all knew the Hokage couldn't resist puppy eyes. If that didn't work, Naruto had a secret jutsu for perverts.

* * *

Naruto stared at the Hokage, eyes set and blazing with determination. "What is with Itachi-sempai? He's avoiding his family, which isn't too uncommon given his dislike of his father, but he's avoiding Sasuke! Sasuke! Is he, you know, still fit for service? I don't know every mission he's gone on, but something must have happened for him to change like this," he said.

The Hokage sighed. "Well, Naruto, I can't tell you. You want to know, you force Itachi-kun to tell you himself. I am not telling you," he replied.

Naruto frowned. "I'll start pranking again, then, until you tell me. You remember the hydroxication seal I invented? The one that made you regret letting me read up on them for the ANBU Exams? This time, I'll put it over the doorway of every door which shinobi will pass, instead of just over the mission hall and your office."

The Hokage blanched. The seal was actually an improvised storage seal that used the chakra of whichever poor shinobi who was unfortunate enough to walk under it to open the seal. The storage seal that Naruto found was gigantic, and he had it designed so that it only leeched enough chakra to get the person wet, not drench the person, and so it could keep going for an entire day. "I'll just watch my step," Hiruzen said, "I can't tell you, even though I would like to."

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Didn't expect too much coming here. But, given all my years surviving in a semi-hostile enviornment, even with the ANBU guarding me, I just know something's going to happen. Kurama-sensei says so as well. He's brutal when it comes to training and lazy, but he's old, very old. He's seen a lot, and he knows when something is wrong. Unlike all those stories of prehistoric times he's so fond of telling me, this time it involves me. Or rather, Itachi-sempai. And he's one of the first people who actually treated me, well, as a friend. I mean, all the others in ANBU are much older than me, and although Itachi-sempai was ten and I was only five, he could see that I've been through a lot. The other ANBU are like the family I didn't have before 5, but Itachi will always be the one who could comfort me when I had killed didn't want to, or when the villagers attacked on that particular night. My friend. Even though I've grown a lot since 5, he will always remember that I am still a child, even if he does not remember that he is still one as well. He is more that one of my sempais in ANBU. I have to know. Something will happen, it will involve Itachi, and I will find out. Just tell me, Hokage-jii-san. For old times sake," Naruto implored.

The Hokage laughed bitterly. "I'll give you a hint. If ANBU were plotting a rebellion that would cause a civil war, and eventually another Ninkai Taisen, would you kill all of them for the sake of peace? You called them the family you never had before 5, didn't you?"

Naruto stopped, his face intent as he focused on translating the Hokage's words. "Family, hmm? Then, the Uchiha Clan has been planning a rebellion? I heard whispers, but is it really true? And, peace, that is what Itachi wants to have, most of all. Is the Council really that terrible?" he whispered, face creased with shock. "Have you approved the mission yet?"

The Hokage sighed and took off the triangular hat of his office, for once looking as old as he truly was, if not even older. "Sometimes, as Hokage, we must make choices we do not want to. And, at times, there are no choices at all." Naruto just nodded.

"I'll tell Kakashi-sempai. Since helping Itachi through ANBU, he's become close as well, even if he can't say it. Will ANBU know?" Naruto asked.

The Hokage shook his head. "They will speculate, but they will not know. Eventually, they'll conclude that there was something going on behind the scenes, and ended in Itachi having to kill his clan and leaving as a nuke-nin. They know how he's like, unlike the masses who only see him as an accomplished shinobi, not as a person with feelings and ideals. Then again, who are we to say that shinobi do have feelings?" the Hokage said sadly.

Naruto nodded and vaulted out of the window. "Thank you and have a nice day, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Naruto walked over to the mess hall, his face sombre and set. Kakashi had asked him to meet him there after he got whoever was unlucky enough to be in to teach him a jutsu. This time, Tenzō was the poor one. He ended up trying to teach Naruto Mokuton Bunshin, knowing it would shut Naruto up for a while as he continued to struggle futilely with combining elements. For some reason, the bunshin had always appealed to him once he got the vision distortion down, be it just a Kage Bunshin or a more complicated one with elemental chakra added. Kakashi dragged Naruto down to a table and sat him down, saying, "Naruto, you may not realize this, but this is really very serious. The Council is cruel, very cruel, to order a thirteen-year-old boy to kill his clan. Your Itachi-sempai may seem like an adult most of the time, but he's still a kid, Naruto, just as you are! In fact, that's why I'm talking to you. I don't want you to become a cold-hearted killer, a tool, before you've reached your teens. You're still young, even if you're ANBU. I know this is against ANBU protocol, but you two have truly become important to me. I don't want to lose you to the Council. They'll turn you into a tool to run their errands."

"I know, Kakashi-sempai. Itachi-sempai also told me never to take a mission for the Council, but the other sempais have always said it is impossible to avoid a mission from the Council of Elders. They've always said that the missions were less pleasant than usual. What should I do, Kakashi-sempai?" Naruto asked, slightly panicky.

"That's exactly what I'm talking to you about. You see, I've been thinking it's time for me to quit ANBU, and now my resolve is even more strengthened. This sickens me, sending a child on such a heart-breaking mission. Naruto, I'll quit ANBU after the Massacre. It is your choice, but I think you should quit as well. I heard the Council is already looking for chances to get at you," Kakashi said.

"I'll quit, definitely. This too sickens me, the darkness of this organization, even if many here have become my family. Maybe I'll join the Academy, keep an eye on Itachi-sempai's brother," Naruto agreed.

"Yeah, I've already decided on what I'll do. I'll be a jōnin, fail every team I'm offered, which won't be hard, until I get to Sasuke's team. The Council will force me to teach him, since I'm the only non-Uchiha that has the Sharingan. I'll probabaly be able to keep him safe that way. Honor Itachi's wishes," Kakashi said. "We'll have to talk to Hokage-sama about it, though. He won't be pleased with two of his best operatives quitting."

"I'll still have to take missions at night, though, to get money to rent an apartment," Naruto said.

"We'd better go see Hokage-sama today. I think Itachi's mission is tomorrow evening," Kakashi suggested.

* * *

"You're going to quit?! I know why, but, just, please, don't. You two are one of my best operatives, and after Karasu leaves, we'll need the manpower. Stick around, okay? I'll let you quit two years later," the Hokage shouted.

"Well, you see, we really don't want to stick around any longer. So we would prefer it if you would sign our release as soon as possible, Hokage-sama," Kitsune said.

"Request postponed. You'll quit two years later. I need as much people as I can get; there aren't many in ANBU. Many leave, but few join. This is an order," the Hokage said, voice steely.

Inu just sighed and said, "We'll be watching over him during his mission. I'm sure he mentioned seeking out someone who claims to be Uchiha Madara for help, but there will not be a need. He is strong and we will watch for any disturbances." He then disappeared with a Konoha Shunshin.

Kitsune sighed as well, but his was less frustrated and much sadder. He turned to the Hokage amd said in a tone that promised trouble, "Hokage-sama, I have recently developed a new jutsu. By incorporating fūton manipulation with the basic shunshin and using the concept of Konoha Shunshin, I created this jutsu. Watch, and be amazed, by my PAPERWORK SHUNSHIN!" Pieces and pieces of paperwork surrounded Naruto's form and funnelled around him with the wind blowing through the office. Finally, the storm of paper died down and fell to the ground in a spiral.

The Hokage's voice could be heard throughout the entire building as he shouted, "Naruto, you'll pay for this!"

* * *

Two shadowed shapes watched as Uchiha Itachi, in full ANBU uniform minus Karasu mask, slashed away at his relatives, trying to contain the tears that were threatening to escape from the corners of his eyes. His blade slashed away swiftly, and his relatives, not expecting the precious clan heir to turn on the Clan, fell before his tantō, flowing with crimson liquid. The two shadowed shapes gazed on the scene sorrowfully, occasionally dispatching difficult opponents with their own jutsus, slamming them into walls or firing ninjutsu at them. He was almost done, with just his parents left. He entered the house of the head of the clan, and came out soon after, tears streaming down his cheeks. Hearing light footsteps pattering along the cobble-stoned streets of the Uchiha District, he wiped his tears away and put on a hard, cruel expression. He went into the house, his house, again. After a few minutes, they observed a crying and screaming Sasuke come out, attempting to attack his far more skilled brother. Itachi ignored his younger brother, picked up his hitai-ate from where it fell, and left, tears winding their way down his face. His younger brother promptly collapsed.

Kakashi and Naruto watched as Itachi sheathed his katana with shaking hands, their hearts bleeding at the sight of their friend so broken. When he did not move, they went down, grabbed his arms, and shunshin-ed away to a stream outside Konoha. There, they let their friend cry, his blood-stained tears flowing onto the ground. After Itachi recovered enough, he washed his face in the stream and bade goodbye to his friends and comrades.

"Farewell, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sempai. I hope that we may be able to meet sometime, as friends, not foes, in the future," he said, smiling sadly.

"Farewell, Itachi-sempai," Naruto whispered.

"Farewell, Itachi," Kakashi said. "Perhaps you could come watch Naruto's Chūnin Exam? We'll quit, you know."

"I know, Hokage-sama told me. Although you may want to engrave my name in the memorial stone after my death, please refrain from doing so. The Uchiha must be remembered as heroes. Promise me that, as well to watch over Sasuke."

"We promise, however ungrateful those Uchiha were." Kakashi sighed. Naruto nodded as well.

All three held up a hand seal for shunshin at the same time. They disappeared in three swirls of leaves, one tinged with clean white, one tinged with bleak black, one tinged with warm orange, moving on with their lives.

* * *

**A/N:**

**That concludes my second chapter. This is slightly shorter, and perhaps a bit rushed, but, well, I tried my best, so don't flame me for it XD.**

**I don't think many use the term '**Ninkai Taisen**', so I'll put in the translation.**

**Ninkai Taisen (忍界大戦): Shinobi World War**

**I'd like to thank my reviewer **Norvier **for reviewing the first chapter. **

**Thanks to all the people who favorited/alerted this story as well :)**


	3. Secrets

Naruto stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was in full ANBU uniform, with the mask over his face, half-concealing his eyes. He sighed and took his mask off. As much as he liked the mask's ability to make his eyes less obvious, he couldn't wear it at the Academy. Everyone would find it odd. He stared out of the window. He guessed he wouldn't be able to wear his ANBU gear either, since it would leave his ANBU tattoo exposed. Perhaps a genjutsu over it? No, the chūnin instructors may notice, maybe a powerful visiting jōnin could break it. But he didn't have civillian clothes... A trip to visit his sempai, he decided. Kakashi-sempai would probably know how powerful an average jōnin was.

"Kakashi-sempai!" Naruto called out cheerfully from the window. Kakashi turned around and stared at his ex-subordinate. "Why can't you use the door like a normal person?" he griped.

"Yeah, like you use doors, Kakashi-sempai. Besides, you left the window open, it's just an invitation to visiting shinobi," Naruto retaliated, swinging in. "Well, I'm here to ask a few questions really. How powerful is an average jōnin?"

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked, raising his visible eyebrow.

"Well, I really don't want to wear any civillian clothes, and though I've disappeared off the face of Konoha for the past three years or so, I'm sure the stores still don't welcome the 'demon'. So, if I wear my ANBU gear minus armguards and mask, will a Jōnin be able to break a genjutsu over my shoulder to hide my tattoo?" Naruto explained.

"Eh, I'm not sure, actually. My sensei was the Yondaime, so he was a hell of a jōnin. I was made jōnin early, so I have no idea if my strength at that time was normal jōnin strength. I joined ANBU afterwards, so didn't have much time to mingle with the Jōnin community. Maybe I can go see if I can get a jōnin to test you out? I'm sure my colleagues wouldn't mind," Kakashi offered.

"Yeah, sure, I'll just use a layered genjutsu, just in case, tomorrow. Contact me when you get a jōnin!" Naruto shouted, hopping out via window again.

Kakashi sighed. He himself was not anticipating his new occupation. From what he heard, he would have to take on genin teams at regular intervals. He figured he'd just use the test his own sensei used on his team and Jiraiya-sama on Minato-sensei's team, and before them, Sandaime-sama used on the Sannin. The Bell Test.

* * *

Naruto sped across the rooftops, waving to the ANBU and effectively scaring the chūnin and jōnin by the ANBU's friendly responses. Naruto snickered to himself. Nothing like scaring those chūnin and jōnin. They didn't know the difference with an ANBU on duty and an ANBU off duty, thinking they were like those masks they wore all the time. In fact, the masks were often a good way to hide laughter and hysterics! ANBU were strange, cheerful off duty and deadly serious on duty. Naruto had gotten used to it long ago, though. He himself was a classical example.

* * *

Naruto glared at his mirror. To him, the genjutsu was still too obvious - he could see the chakra flow plainly around his arm, even with the slight, but surprisingly annoying obstruction of the dark glasses he had added to his ensemble lest someone recognize his eyes. He sighed and added another layer to the genjutsu. That made ten layers. He decided it would be fine. He'd go shopping for some clothes later.

He stepped into the Academy, grinning broadly at the chūnin instructor. Five minutes late, no more no less. Good, they'd assume he's a thick-headed fool. "Iruka-sensei? This is your class, isn't it?" he said, looking at the chūnin's darkening expression.

"Yes. Uzumaki Naruto, why are you late for your first day of the Academy?!" Iruka shouted.

"Well, you see, I had to help an old lady cross the road, that's why," he said, adopting one of Kakashi-sempai's excuses.

The chūnin sighed. "Whatever. Well, class, this is our new student, Uzumaki Naruto," he said.

"Hi! My name is Uzumaki Naruto-ttebayo! I'm eight years old, just like the rest of you, probably!" Naruto said in an enthusiastic manner. Inwardly he was analyzing his so-called peers. 'Hmm. Itachi-sempai's brother seems to be absent, but it's not surprising, since it's barely a day since that. The Ino-Shika-Chō! Interesting. The Hyūga heiress? And the Aburame and Inuzuka heirs? Wow, this is one crazy class. The heirs and heiresses of Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, Inuzuka, Hyūga? Oh yeah, there's still Sasuke, since Itachi-sempai is technically clan head now. That's all four of the noble clans, not including myself as the son of the Yondaime Hokage and one of the last of the Uzumaki as well as relative of the Senju!'

The rest of the class seemed to be less enthusiastic. "Hey! If he hasn't attended the Academy before, how can he keep up with us?" the Inuzuka shouted, pointing at Naruto.

Naruto simply sighed, and appeared behind him. "Kiba-san, is it? Relax, I can keep up with all of you in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, shurikenjutsu as well as whatever you learn in the Academy," Naruto stated in a cool voice. The same thought was running through all of the students minds. 'Fast!'

Unknown to them, Iruka was having similar thoughts. 'He's so fast! Though he's nowhere near chūnin speed, he's much better than even the average genin! Just who is he!?'

Naruto walked over to an empty seat and sat down. As if that was the cue, the class resumed its normal chatter. Naruto groaned as he opened up his textbook. It would be a dull day.

* * *

Meanwhile, across Konoha, a certain Hatake Kakashi was trying not to scream and run out of the Hokage's office. He walked into the office, three hours late as usual, and found Gai of all people in it, as if waiting for him! He thought he'd escaped him by joining ANBU, but now he was supposed to do a mission with him! Why had kami so cruelly subjugated him to becoming this insane man's 'eternal rival'! Thank goodness this mission was a day mission. He was afraid he'd go mad if he had to spend more time with him. He'd go for a drink that night.

* * *

"Kakashi-sempaaaaiiiii! Can we go out tonight? The Academy was so boring!" Naruto whined from his perch on Kakashi's windowsill.

"Excellent idea. I got stuck with Gai for the whole day, I think I nearly went mad," Kakashi replied, turning around. "Just what are you wearing?!" Kakashi shouted in disgust, seeing Naruto's clothes. "It's practically screams 'Attack me!'." Naruto sighed.

"Only thing I could get. Even if I went missing for the past three years, everyone can still recognize the 'demon brat'," Naruto said in reply. "I hate it as much as you do, but even if I took the mask and arm guards away, the ANBU gear is still too conspicious."

Someone knocked on his door. Kakashi sighed. Naruto moved to a corner of Kakashi's apartment. "Wait here, I'll go see who it is," Kakashi said. He crossed over to the door and opened it. Much to his surprise, he could see many of his age group standing outside. "Hayate? Genma? Asuma? Kurenai? Raidō? What are you doing here?"

"Gai told us you dropped to jōnin, so we came to celebrate, I guess. Oh yeah, Gai's on a mission so he's not here," Asuma said, seemingly bored. Kakashi let go of the breath he had been holding.

"So all of you are jōnin now?" Kakashi asked.

"No, Hayate, Raidō and I are tokubetsu jōnin. Kurenai is still chūnin," Genma said.

"Aren't you going to ask us in?" Kurenai said, smiling. "We are part of your age group after all."

"Oh, sure," Kakashi said, stepping aside, smiling awkwardly.

"Oh! Who's this kid?" Kurenai squealed, lunging towards Naruto. Naruto shocked, did the first thing that came to mind. He blew her away with a low level Shinra Tensei.

"Oh, er, he's my, um, friend," Kakashi said lamely.

"Since when did you make friends that are that young?" Raidō asked suspiciously. "Are you sure you're a good influence?"

"I'm the son of an old acquaintance of Kakashi-sem-san's," Naruto covered.

"My sensei's son," Kakashi added hastily.

"Yeah. You're right. He looks just like Minato-sama except for the eyes," Genma said.

"Kakashi, don't bother. He's from ANBU, right? Yūgao mentioned teaching an 'insufferable blonde prankster' Uzumaki Naruto kenjutsu once," Hayate said between coughs.

The room fell silent. "You're right, Hayate-san. I am ex-ANBU. We quit," Naruto said, interrupting the silence.

"Why?" Kurenai asked. "And what was that jutsu you used?"

"Why we quit? It's a long story, and S-rank classified. We found out only because of ANBU rumors and our friend," Naruto replied. "As for that jutsu, well, it's a watered down version of one of my jutsus."

"You're friends with Gen'ei no Karasu, the most powerful ANBU genjutsu user, and second only to Shunshin no Shisui in the village, right? Something happened to him?" Hayate guessed.

"Yeah, something terrible happened to him," Kakashi said quietly.

"But no one except ANBU and Hokage-sama and the Council of Elders know who he really is. Mind telling us?" Genma asked hopefully. All of them had heard of the fearsome ANBU trio, Kami-Kitsune, Shiroi-Rai Inu, and Gen'en no Karasu, but they only guessed that Kakashi was Shiroi-Rai Inu because of his signature jutsu Raikiri, his silvery-white hair and dog summons. None of them knew who the other two were, though.

"We cannot tell you who Gen'en no Karasu is, but I am Shiroi-Rai Inu. Naruto here is Kami-Kitsune," Kakashi said.

The room took on a subdued atmosphere. "You're not kidding us, are you, Kakashi?" Kurenai whispered.

"No. He really is Kami-Kitsune. The jutsu he used could turn Konoha into a plain if he put enough chakra in it," Kakashi replied.

"So what is it-cough-called?" Hayate asked.

"That doesn't matter. This jutsu is a kekkei genkai jutsu, actually," Naruto told the jōnins.

"Your dōjutsu? Your eyes are really weird, but originally I thought it was just a strange genetic feature, like Kurenai's eyes or Anko's eyes," Asuma said.

"Rinnegan. It is not a myth, apparently. Part of my genetic structure was altered when I was five," Naruto said. "Oh, yeah, that's supposed to be classified as well, but just don't tell everyone you meet, that's it. People'd find out soon enough anyway."

"Okay. Goodbye, Kakashi. See you around," Raidō said in a shaky voice. The rest took the cue to leave.

"Well, that was fun! The look on their faces, priceless!" Naruto laughed.

"Indeed. To see such fearsome jōnin, tokubetsu jōnin and a chūnin so scared, that was definitely worth giving your identity away. At least we know they're trustworthy," Kakashi replied, also smiling under his mask.

"Yeah, it's a relief to get at least some of my secrets out, but I guess there is still one, in the end, that we must keep," Naruto said, voice fading to a whisper at the end.

"Indeed," Kakashi sighed as well, staring at the full moon so much like the moon on the night their friend died inside, just two nights ago.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yes, I know. Too short. Too many scenes. The scenes are too short. Sorry.**

**This was a bridging chapter, and wasn't supposed to be much, so it's shorter. **

**I couldn't help but add that jōnin scene at the end. I know it's not very real, but I just couldn't bear to take it out after I spent so much time writing and laughing. It was originally supposed to be even less real, but, well, I edited it.**

**As usual, please review. Thanks to my two new reviewers **Aosumi** and **UnclearNebula**, and thanks to all those who favorited/alerted.**

**EDIT: Changed a bit of the misspelt monikers (Gen'en no Karasu).**


	4. Classmates, a Meeting and Graduation

Naruto stared at the board glumly. This lesson was on the Yondaime Hokage. How could he have not known his own father? After Kakashi decided that he was mature enough to handle the news, he told him. Naruto had, since then, acquired a large knowledge of the Yondaime Hokage, both from books and the from Yondaime's sole surviving student. He laid his head on the desk. Might as well get some sleep for the sleep he missed from the mission that night and the subsequent cleanup. That mission had been particularly messy: a capture for interrogation mission, but the target had self-destructed at the last moment. He had gotten splattered with the target's blood.

Behind him, Shikamaru stared at the sleeping blonde. It was unusual for Naruto to fall asleep in class. Normally, he just fiddled with his stationery, carving them into kunai, shuriken, katana, tantō, fūma shuriken, giant shuriken, you name it, he's got it. He had acquired a formidable wood armory over the years of attending the Academy. Occasionally, he'd go to sleep in class, but Shikamaru never figured out the pattern. It wasn't so frequent during the first week, but it became a much more frequent occurence, almost every day, as time went on. He sighed, muttering,"Mendōkusei." The word, in his opinion, summed Naruto up pretty well.

Kiba shifted slightly. Akamaru whined in unison. He closed his eyes, carefully analysing the scent of Naruto. He smelled a bit of ramen and fox, as usual, and a lot of soap. But there was an extremely heavy, iron undercurrent that he could recognize without a doubt. Blood. And a lot of it as well. What had the blonde done to smell of blood so heavily? Although he did start to notice this smell that sometimes hung around him over the past weeks, but it was just a tint, almost covered by the ramen and fox smell. Naruto had never bothered to use soap to erase the smell then as well.

Sasuke glared at the snoring boy in front of him. Why did he get an ANBU guard? What made him so special? All he got at the best times was a jōnin guard. It was starting to become a common sight, the dog-masked ANBU arriving with Naruto on his back, he thought with a growl. He didn't tolerate those that showed him up.

Shikamaru tuned Iruka out as he started explaining the Genin exams. He never really bothered to listen to any of Iruka-sensei's exam related lectures. It was always the same for him: pass with one mark to spare by choosing the least troublesome questions to do. He'd also noticed something as well: Naruto always scored one mark lower than him, the exact passing grade for the exam, though he'd never lost to anyone in a spar, not even Sasuke, when he didn't forfeit. He also did strange things during kunai and shuriken practice, such as using his own senbon, kunai, or shuriken, no doubt sharpened, and not aiming for the bulls-eye. Instead, he chose spots on the dummy's neck with his senbon, throwing hard enough to penetrate the stomach for his kunai, and the elbows and wrists with his shuriken. Upon clarification with his father, he learned that they were sure-kill spots when targeted with the right amount of force, something an Academy student shouldn't know, even with knowledge of human anatomy. His father had looked at him funny and said it was knowledge that came with killing when he told him a classmate was doing it. He'd ask some of his friends if noticed Naruto's odd behavior.

Kiba noticed Shikamaru looking at him. He turned his gaze to the lazy boy. Shikamaru nodded towards the yard. 'Talk later outside.' Kiba nodded in return.

Iruka said, "Okay class, you may go for lunch. Don't forget about the taijutsu spars later." The children whooped and ran outside. Iruka laughed lightly at the sight. Suddenly, he noticed Kiba, Shikamaru and Chōji moving outside purposefully. That spelt bad news for the teachers. A prankster a bit lower than Naruto's talent and one of the best strategists moving purposefully could only mean one thing: a terrible, terrible prank was on its way. To his surprise, he noticed them simply moving out and congregating under a tree, seemingly discussing something instead of leaping into action like the other rare occasions they ganged up against him. Oh, well, it was better than being pranked.

* * *

"So, Kiba, have you noticed something strange about Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, turning to Kiba.

"Yeah, I want to talk to you about Naruto as well. He's a bit strange," Kiba agreed. "The way he's never lost to any one of us in taijutsu, even after my mom started coaching me in fighting with Akamaru as my partner."

"My dad once said that his style resembled the style that someone of the older generation invented when he saw us sparring," Chōji remarked between bites of chips. "He didn't say much though. He got that funny look in his eyes when reminiscing."

"There's more. I asked my dad about the strange points Naruto hit instead of the bulls-eye during practice. He said those were points that, when hit with the right amount of force, could kill almost instantly, but the knowledge only comes with excessive killing," Shikamaru added. "Also, he always barely passes. Never a mark more, never one less." He refrained from mentioning he used a similar tactic.

"You know, Shikamaru, Chōji, this sounds weird, but I swear this is true to the best of my abilities! Naruto sometimes smells of blood. Usually it's just a hint; he doesn't even try to use soap to cover the smell up, but today, he used a lot of soap and I can still smell it! I wonder what he does after school to smell like blood," Kiba said, voice dropping to a conspirational whisper. Akamaru barked in agreement.

Shikamaru nodded. "It is strange. Maybe we should tail him to find out what he does?" he suggested.

"No. If he does strange stuff, I don't think he'll be pleased for us to find out," Chōji disagreed. Kiba nodded in agreement.

"Well, good luck for the Graduation Exam," Shikamaru said.

"Likewise," Chōji and Kiba said in unison. As if it was the cue, the three of them dropped the subject sat down for lunch, once again chatting happily.

* * *

Naruto focused on the task on hand. This was the last mission before graduation, a simple R/R, Recover/Retrieve mission. He had to go collect a so-called important scroll for a client. He suspected the client ranked it as B just to flaunt his wealth. The mission was nothing complicated! Go to a point, get a scroll, take it to back to Konoha for delivery by other nin tomorrow, since the client wouldn't like someone popping up in the middle of the night. There was also no need for an ANBU operative as well, but he suspected the Hokage was just trying to give him a break after last night's mission. Oh well, on with the job.

He zipped through the trees, watching his surroundings carefully by habit. He was nearing a bounty station; he could see the lights and a person approaching it. The chakra felt familiar, soothing, but now mournful. Wait, is it really...?

He dropped onto the ground. The person looked up, exposing his dark grey eyes, a shade lighter than his brother's. The barest hint of a smile touched the edges of his lips. "Naruto-kun."

"Itachi-sempai!" Naruto crowed happily. "Long time no see, almost four years! So what's up? And who is that?" Naruto said, refering the man who hung limply from Itachi's hands.

"Oh. He's a Kumo missing-nin, wanted dead or alive. Akatsuki is currently collecting funds, so we're sent all over to hunt down thise with large bounties. I took him because I wouldn't have to kill him. My partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, took the one they wanted dead," Itachi replied.

"Still the pacifist, ne, Itachi-sempai? So, what does Akatsuki want all the money for?" Naruto asked.

"Hunting Bijū."

Naruto gaped at Itachi. "Is Akatsuki that good? Hunting Bijū is no small business."

"I am not certain of the Leader's identity, other than he is an Ame nuke-nin, and somehow at the same time, ruler of Amegakure. He is also a Rinnegan user. Other than him, Akatsuki has Akasuna no Sasori, nuke-nin of Suna, Deidara, nuke-nin of Iwa, former member of Explosion Corps, Kakuzu, nuke-nin of Takigakure, who fought the Shodaime Hokage, Hidan, nuke-nin of Yū, who is literally immortal. All of them are S-rank. Orochimaru defected after failing to take my body as his vessel."

"Impressive. So many powerful nuke-nin in one place, no wonder the believe they can capture Bijū!" Naruto whistled. "So, who's after Kurama-sensei?"

"I volunteered. Not that I doubt you abilities, Naruto-kun, but rather as a just in case. You never know what may happen."

"Oh, sure. Then I'll be off, I still have a mission to complete. I'll make sure Hokage-sama puts me on Sasuke's team, no matter how much I think he doesn't deserve such a good brother. He's just like the other Uchihas, power-hungry, stuck-up and violent. See you around, Itachi-sempai!" Naruto said, hopping into the trees quickly to hide the slight waver in his voice.

Itachi noticed nonetheless, and smiled sadly. He hadn't predicted that it would affect the blonde so badly. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

* * *

Naruto whistled happily as he made his way to the Academy. The meeting last night with Itachi, even if it robbed him of a few more crucial minutes of sleep, had put him in a good mood, so good that it persisted even after he had woken up, groggier than usual. Furthermore, it was finally the last day of that accursed Academy. He could finally take missions as a genin, even if they were just D and C-ranked. The Graduation Exam wouldn't hinder him either. He'd already decided that he was going to forfeit taijutsu, just pass the written, and do the bunshin. He'd surpassed genin anyway.

Just as Naruto stepped up, confident in his abilities, his other sensei spoke up. 'Kit, the other sensei, the silver-haired one, Mizuki, is showing malicious intent towards you. He's been doing it for the past semester, but I think he's going to act on it,' Kurama said in his mind.

_'Ku-Kurama-sensei? You finally agreed that talking to me instead of just training me to the ground is good for friendship? What do you mean, he's showing malicious intent?' _Naruto thought back as he formed the ram seal, focusing his chakra.

_'I can sense malicious intent; it's one of my abilities. And I do not train you to the ground, you push yourself to it. And don't think I don't know how hard you train off duty, I know you're not the genius types, even if you're gifted.'_

_'I know I'm not a genius, that's the exact reason I have to train harder to make up...Shit! Break it off now!'_

_'Too late.' _was Kurama's unsympathetic reply.

Naruto stared at the sickly-looking bunshin he produced. _'Kurama-senseeeiiii...'_

_'Sorry, kit,'_ Kurama replied, and retreated into the depths of Naruto's mindscape.

"You fail!" Iruka shouted.

* * *

_'Troublesome. Now I have to go to Hokage-sama for it. Suddenly wish contact with you didn't mess up my chakra control.'_ Naruto whined in his mindscape.

_'I know, kit, you've been saying this for the past hour! I'm really sorry, okay? It's not my fault that the seal was designed so that I'd have to use chakra to talk to you! Besides, your chakra should seriously get used to mine! You shouldn't have forfeited taijutsu and just passed the written either!'_ Kurama shouted back.

_'It is! But your chakra just suddenly flushing through my system and moving into my reserves causes a chakra boost which, obviously, immediately shoots my control all the way to zero! You're lucky I don't suffer any ill effects from your chakra. I could be coughing up blood now. Besides, I wouldn't be put on Sasuke's team if I didn't do that!'_

_'You're just too lazy to go to the Hokage. And I know you wouldn't be coughing up blood; Uzumaki have powerful life forces. Your mother survived the extraction. You probably could as well!'_

_'Really?'_ Naruto asked.

_'Maybe, now go, that Mizuki person is here!'_

* * *

Naruto rolled open the Sealed Scroll. Hmm, a few nice ones... Mokuton ninjutsu? Maybe he could write them down and give them to Tenzō-sempai. Raikiri? He never knew Raikiri was a kinjutsu. Well, he supposed it was, for those without Sharingan. His mind drifted as he thought of how he'd resolve the problem using his own skills. He frowned, closing his eyes and descending into his own logic. '_Byakugan should be able to solve the problem as well, since tunnel vision would not be a problem for those with close to 360 degrees of vision. But Rinnegan offers neither that nor the motion prediction and perception of Sharingan. So to prevent tunnel vision, you need to see your opponents. What allows Rinnegan to see well?'_ he thought, accessing his mental archives. '_Right! A hidden Kage Bunshin! I could observe the opponent with the shared field of vision!'_

In his triumph, he did not notice the two fast approaching chakra signatures. "I found you!" he heard a voice, Iruka, shout.

Naruto whirled around, slipping into the act of the cheery idiot immediately. "Hey, Iruka-sensei! I mastered Kage Bunshin no jutsu! Can I pass now?" Inside however, he was shouting. '_He wasn't supposed to be here! This was supposed to attract Mizuki, not anyone else! The ANBU were told, but the chūnins and jōnins weren't!'_ he screamed loudly. Much to his surprise, Kurama answered.

_'Shut up, gaki! I know you're not supposed to make many friends, but just trust Iruka this time! I'm sure he can keep his mouth shut! Now let me sleep!'_

_'Ah, so you're just complaining about your lost sleep,'_ Naruto replied sourly as Mizuki appeared in the clearing. _'Good, the target's here.'_

"Give me the scroll, Naruto!" Mizuki shouted as he threw one of his giant shuriken. Iruka made to move in front of Naruto, but the shuriken was knocked aside by a Shinra Tensei.

"Why should I, Mizuki?" Naruto said coldly, in what Kakashi called his 'mission tone'.

Mizuki sneered at Naruto, not answering the impossible question. "You know why you are so hated in Konoha," he said instead, building up the suspense.

"No, Mizuki!" Iruka shouted, realizing Mizuki's intents.

"Because-" his 'dramatic' monologue was cut short by a brief statement by Naruto.

"Yeah. Because the civilians have no knowledge of fūinjutsu and the shinobi don't know much about it."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "How-? When-?" His plan was completely ruined by that statement.

"Since five. Now come peacefully, or else I am authorised to use lethal force to deal with you."

In response, Mizuki grinned maniacally. "Then, die, Fox!" he shouted, flinging two giant shuriken at Iruka and Naruto.

"How nice for you to mention my name," Naruto commented dryly, pushing the two shuriken away with Shinra Tensei. "You are charged with treason and attempted murder of Umino Iruka, chūnin instructor, and Uzumaki Naruto, ANBU Kitsune, of Konohagalure no Sato, ninja village of Hi no Kuni. How do you plead?" he asked, as per policy, while knocking Mizuki down and possibly rupturing a few of his internal organs in the process with a Shinra Tensei. Iruka gaped at the side while Naruto mentally berated himself for forgetting Iruka's presence. Oh well, he'd just procceed.

Mizuki growled and struggled to prop himself up on his elbows as blood dribbled from his mouth. "Never, you damn Fox!"

Naruto smirked. "Bad choice," he sighed, knocking Mizuki out with a blow to the head and tying him up in pre-prepared chakra-suppressing ropes. "Iruka-san, please do not mention this incident to the public. Charges can be pressed against you for revealing an ANBU's identity without their permission. Have a nice day," he continued, addressing Iruka and holding up a half-ram seal, prepared to shunshin to the T&I Department.

"Wait!" Iruka shouted. Naruto paused, and waited for Iruka to continue. "Have you been an ANBU since you joined my class? Why wasn't I told?"

"I quit at ten, but was ordered to keep my status as ANBU operative. I still took missions, but, for the most part, was just a student. Thank you, Iruka-sensei, for your help over these two years. I came out of ANBU without any friends from the outside, but you gave me a chance, and didn't hate me, even though your parents died in the Kyūbi Attack. Well, my parents died in that attack as well, so I guess I know how you feel. Thanks for all of it, Iruka-sensei. You don't have to feel cheated," Naruto said, a real smile lighting up his face.

Iruka smiled as well and said, "Well, you can go now. Guess we'll stay in touch?" Naruto nodded, picked up Mizuki's limp form and vanished in a gust of wind.

* * *

**A/N:**

**That's the fourth chapter. It's another bridging chapter,and my take on the Mizuki incident and the subsequent Iruka and Naruto bonding moment plus a little appearance by Itachi. Since I thought Iruka would be hurt that the student he'd grown to care for was lying since the very beginning, and I had to explain how Naruto felt, this is my explanation for the Iruka/Naruto relationship.**

**Also, some of the students are suspicious! Let's see if they can solve the puzzle in front of them.**

**Thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter(s): **I Judicator, Darknessrising11, A W. **Special thanks to I Judicator for reviewing twice, once for Chapter 1 and another time for Chapter 3. Thanks to all the people who faved or alerted.****  
**

**As usual, please review and thanks for reading.**


	5. Bell Test

Naruto strolled in, waiting for the expressions of the rest of his classmates. Shikamaru was the first to notice. "Hey, this place is only for people who've passed. What are you doing here?" Naruto simply pointed to his hitai-ate in response. Shikamaru shrugged, and let him be. Naruto sat down next to Sasuke, as per habit.

Soon, Iruka arrived. "Okay, here are the teams..." Naruto tuned out. "Team Seven, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke. Team Eight..." 'Hokage-jii-san really kept his promise. Oh well, I guess this is a long wait for Kakashi-sempai.' True to Naruto's word, their sensei kept them waiting for several hours. Naruto groaned and walked over to the blackboard. Picking up a chalk eraser, he surrepitiously slapped a gravity seal on the back. He placed it carefully on the edge of the door.

Sakura noticed his actions and said, "Idiot, no jōnin would fall for that lame trick!" Naruto grinned and kept silent. 'We'll see about that.' Just as Kakashi opened the door, Naruto grinned and whispered, "Kai!", releasing the gravity seal. Kakashi noticed the falling eraser and was about to reach out to catch it when he saw the seal array on the back. Having studied under a seal master, he knew it wouldn't be wise to try to catch it. He sidestepped it instead. "I told you it wouldn't do any good against a jōnin!" Sakura shouted. Naruto smiled, and watched their reactions as the eraser slammed into the ground, cracking the floorboards.

Thankfully, Naruto had enough sense to keep the chakra in the seal to a minimum, so the eraser didn't go any further. "Gravity seal. Ingenious. Well, I'll meet you three on the roof," Kakashi commented, and disappeared with a shunshin. Naruto also disappeared with a shunshin.

* * *

"Well, that was fun!" Naruto exclaimed, waiting for the rest of his team on the roof.

"That wasn't necessary. It could've fractured my arm or something if I had someone else as my sensei. Besides, I thought you were going to keep a low profile?" Kakashi grumbled, raising his visible eyebrow.

"C'mon, it was just once, Kakashi-sempai! It can't be that bad!"

"Whatever. They're here." Sakura and Sasuke appeared at the top of the stairwell, Sakura panting while Sasuke tried not to. Naruto watched them come with a smirk on his face. "Okay, introduce yourselves, team," Kakashi ordered as the sat down.

"How? Can you give an example?" Sakura asked.

"You know, names, likes and dislikes, hobbies and dream. My name is Hatake Kakashi, I have many likes and dislikes, plenty of hobbies and my dream is none of your business. Pinky, after you," Kakashi said.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, I like-giggle-, my hobby-giggle-, my dream-major giggle-, and I dislike Ino-pig," Sakura said, while Naruto and Kakashi sweatdropped. 'Fangirl...' "Shades."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I like sealing, ramen, sharp weapons, I dislike people who don't understand the most basic sealing theory and shinobi who forget or disregard Rule 25, a certain group of power-hungry, mostly deceased people, and more. My hobbies, uh, I like playing poker with my friends and training. My dream, future rather, is becoming Hokage. My dream, in every sense of that word, is to help a friend of mine." 'Close one, the hobby part. Barely had anything to say,' Naruto thought.

'Translation: He likes keeping his weapons sharp because he'd die otherwise, sealing is the same, it makes killing easier. He dislikes people who don't understand he is the prison of Kyūbi, not Kyūbi itself, and shinobi who know intellectually and ignore it in favor of their hatred. Could also apply to himself; he's serious during missions, happy-go-lucky off duty. He also dislikes the Uchiha Clan, probably for the coup. His hobby is beating the crap out of the ANBU that play poker. Well, that's sadistic. Good thing I caught on early, so I didn't lose too much. Hokage, of course. Must run in his blood,' Kakashi thought. "Broody."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like anything, and dislike almost everything. My hobby is training. My dream, no, ambition is to kill a certain man and revive my clan." 'I should ask Kakashi-sempai to send him to Inoichi-san...' Naruto thought, unaware that his friend was having similar thoughts.

"Alright, see me at Training Ground Three tomorrow, at eight. Also, don't eat anything. You'll just throw up," Kakashi said before disappearing with a shunshin. 'The bell test. He sure likes that one. Well, I'll just sleep in tomorrow.' Naruto thought, leaving as well.

* * *

Naruto walked up to his two irritable teammates. "You're late!" Sakura shouted. "He asked us to meet him at eight, not ten! And what are you wearing?" Naruto glanced down at his ensemble. Sure, he'd changed the sleeveless clothes of ANBU gear to simply a black shirt, but he supposed wearing the arm guards Itachi left for him was not a good choice. So he decided to ignore the question.

"Well, is he here yet? And did you two eat breakfast?" Naruto asked.

"No, but what if he's watching us now? And what do you mean by eating breakfast? He specifically told us not to eat." Sakura said, voice slightly lower.

"He's not, and if we're doing 'survival training' we have to eat something," Naruto stated simply.

"And how do you know, dead last?" Sasuke sneered, ignoring the second statement. 'Oops. Guess I can't tell them I know Kakashi-sempai on a personal level.'

"I did some research. Hatake Kakashi apparently is chronically late. The only time he arrives on time is for really important missions. Also, he's never passed a team before. He's taken close to a fifty teams in four years and not once, not even one team passed," Naruto said.

"Huh? Pass a team? What does that mean?" Sakura asked, confused.

"The Genin Exams! The real one issued by the jōnin instructors, with a 66% fail rate. I don't know about the others, but Kakashi-sem-sei uses one called the bell test. It's actually a very famous, er, infamous one. The Sannin were tested by it," Naruto said, scratching his head. "Anyway, he'll take out two bells, and he'll say that the third person who cannot get a bell from him will get sent back to the Academy. So that way, he'll test whether we can work together. The true purpose isn't to evaluate our skills; no Academy graduate can best a jōnin, but rather to test our teamwork. When he releases us, we have to work together. Whether we get a bell or not isn't important after that, as long as we work together we pass."

"Why should we listen to you? Besides, I can get a bell on my own, I'm far better than both of you," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, Sasuke's right. We can both get bells on our own. You'll be the one sent back to the Academy, since you failed the exam anyway," Sakura, who one moment earlier was considering Naruto's idea, said in response to Sasuke. Naruto sighed. He'd tried after all. He'll just have to get the two bells for them.

* * *

Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, exactly three hours late. "You're late!" Sakura screeched. Naruto just sighed and gave a look that said 'I told you so'.

"Maa, gomen, I got lost on the road of life," Kakashi replied, using one of his signature excuses. "Okay, today the three of you will take a test. The real Genin Exam. It has a fail rate of 66%. I have to bells," here he held up the two he'd prepared," and you three will take them from me. One of you will not get a bell and will be sent back to the Academy. You have until noon to take them from me, and if you don't get a bell, you don't get lunch either. You start... Now!" The three of them scattered into the forest. Naruto quickly sent a kage bunshin to attack Kakashi and ran towards Sakura's hiding place.

"Sakura! Do you believe me now? He said the same thing as I told you two! Come on, we have to join forces if you want to get a bell!" he hissed, startling Sakura.

"I don't care! You'll get sent back to the Academy and Sasuke-kun and I will be on the same team. Now go away!" Sakura said. Naruto sighed. Just then, he noticed his extra field of vision disappeared. 'Bunshin got destroyed. Okay, time to move on.'

"If I can get Sasuke to work with me, will you?" Naruto asked, knowing the answer well.

"Like you can. Sasuke-kun doesn't need your help to get a bell." Naruto moved off.

Sasuke was fairly easy to track, even if he didn't have the tracking capabilities of Kakashi. "Hey Sasuke! My prediction was correct, so know we have to work together to get the bells! He's a jōnin, and we're just Academy graduates, think! How can we get the bells on our own?" Naruto said.

Sasuke snorted. "I can," he replied.

"No you can't! This jōnin is one of the best in Konoha! I'll give you his stats. He graduated the Academy at five, became chūnin at six, jōnin at twelve, ANBU at thirteen, and he's been in ANBU from thirteen all the way till twenty-two! Think of the skill level if he can survive ANBU for nine whole years!" Naruto shouted, fed up with them. Sasuke paused, but once again Naruto's hopes were ruthlessly crushed.

"No."

"Then I'll get the bell on my own as well!" Naruto shouted, his temper frayed.

* * *

Naruto watched Kakashi carefully. Sempai or no, he wasn't going to go easy on him; he had to get the bells. At least Kakashi wouldn't show his Sharingan in front of Sasuke, and neither would he be inclined to. Both of them wanted to make the team pass, after all. Currently, Kakashi had already disposed of Sasuke, and was disposing of Sakura using a genjutsu. 'Perfect, they'll be out of the way,' Naruto thought, forming six kage bunshin, his limit, and scattering them all around to cover his blind spots. He leaped out of the trees. No use trying to surprise a seasoned ex-ANBU. "Kakashi-sempai, they didn't listen to me!" Naruto whined.

"As expected. So now you have to take the bells from me?" Kakashi replied.

"Yep," Naruto said, sliding into a modified kenjutsu stance.

"Kenjutsu? You're going to use your wind chakra?" Kakashi guessed.

"Maybe, maybe not. I modified it so that it can suit taijutsu as well, remeber?" Kakashi nodded, and fell into a taijutsu stance as well. Naruto grinned and charged forward, his hands coated with fūton chakra. Naruto slashed at Kakashi, who sidestepped the lunge. Making it seem as if he was imbalanced, Naruto continued to move forward. Kakashi took advantage of the 'opening' and pushed Naruto down. Naruto, in the meantime, concentrated on his wind chakra, making it longer, thinner, and much, much sharper. He then angled his hand backwards, cutting off the two bells. Kakashi noticed and swooped down to catch them, but Naruto used a Banshō Ten'in to catch them. "It's over, Kakashi-sempai!" Naruto whispered as he blew Kakashi away with a Shinra Tensei. Not giving Kakashi time to recover, he dashed off to his teammates. Kakashi laughed. 'Good one, Naruto, even if both of us knew I wasn't going to be serious. He would be proud of you, and so am I.'

* * *

"Hey Sasuke! How's it going?" Naruto taunted as he moved in front of him. Sasuke growled and looked away. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here," Naruto said, forming a kage bunshin and making the bunshin perform kawarimi using Sasuke. He then dispelled the bunshin. "Anyway, do you see the error of your ways now? You can never beat a jōnin like Kakashi-sensei in combat."

"I'm not going to work with you," Sasuke said, looking away.

"You don't need to," Naruto, much to Sasuke's surprise, replied. "I got the bells." Sasuke whirled around and stared at Naruto incredulously. He could barely even touch the bells, while Naruto got all two of the bells. Naruto smiled and held up the two, and tossed him one of them. "It is your choice whether you want one or not, but I suggest you keep it anyway," Naruto said, staring at Sasuke unflinchingly. He left Sasuke to mull over his words.

* * *

Sakura was still out of it, much to Naruto's surprise. The effects of weak genjutsu usually didn't last long. He walked over to Sakura's prone form, and tapped her with a chakra-coated hand. Sakura immediately shot up and screamed, "Sasuke-kun!" 'So that was the genjutsu. My, my, Kakashi-sempai is sadistic.'

"It's okay, Sakura, whatever that you saw was a genjutsu. Now, do you want to work with me?" Naruto asked.

"Did you get Sasuke-kun to work with you?" Sakura asked doubtfully.

"Well then, I guess that's a no," Naruto said, stretching. "Whatever. You can have this, then. Keep it, because I gave Sasuke the other one. I don't want you wasting my efforts." He held out the remaining bell. Sakura stared at it, slack-jawed. "Well? Go ahead and take it." Sakura nodded and took it. Naruto grinned wearily. 'I finally got them to pass," he groaned inwardly. 'In the nick of time as well,' he added, hearing the alarm clock ring.

* * *

Naruto smirked at Kakashi. "We pass, correct?" he said. Kakashi considered looking shocked, but he couldn't really, since he knew Naruto would find a way to make the team pass. He gave up and went back to his bored look.

"Yes. Sakura, Sasuke, do you to understand the point of this test?" Kakashi asked, turning to the two who were tied to the poles.

"Why are we tied up? We have the bells while Naruto doesn't! He should be the one tied up!" Sakura shouted.

"Sakura, how many times do I have to say this? I'm not tied up because, one, I got the bells. Two, I gave them to you, I offered to work with you two. I demonstrated teamwork, which is the point of this test," Naruto said, sighing.

"Naruto is correct. Teamwork was the whole point of this exam. Look at that stone over there. It is a monument for those who were KIA," Kakashi said.

"Killed in action?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes. The names of my nakama are on that stone. Someone once told me, "Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." Teamwork is more important than skills; no genin can take on a jōnin alone, but if three genin work together, they would be able to take on even a jōnin," Kakashi continued. "I hope this has taught you something about teamwork. Value your bonds with others," he said, echoing Itachi's words when he explained his decision to spare Sasuke. Naruto, hearing this, sighed softly, recognizing the phrase. "I'll see you tomorrow, at the red bridge at six. We'll begin taking D-ranked missions starting from tomorrow." He then disappeared with a shunshin.

* * *

Sasuke glared at Naruto's back. He, the supposed dead last of the class, did enough research to know all about the test and the jōnin's background. He could also take on a veteran, élite jōnin and could take all the bells. He could barely even touch the bells, and he was the Number One Rookie! His level of thinking was also astounding for the former dead last. Also, Naruto used a gravity seal the previous day. Sasuke had researched on them, and discovered that they were extremely difficult to use, to the point that many jōnin couldn't use them. What happened to the 'dead last'? It surely raised suspicions about his background. Especially where he had been before the Academy.

* * *

"Kakashi-sempai, are you free now?" Naruto asked, approaching his 'teacher' in Front of the Memorial Stone.

"Yes, I am. What is it?" Kakashi replied.

After checking their surroundings, Naruto said flatly, "I met _him. _I asked him about Akatsuki. He told me that they were hunting Bijū, and the members. He said that he's volunteered to hunt down Kurama-sensei. You know, just in case."

"That's ambitious," Kakashi commented.

"Yeah, I had the same reaction, but the members...are very good. The Leader is Ame nuke-nin and ruler of Amegakure. He has the Rinnegan. He should be the most powerful person in the organization. They also have Akasuna no Sasori, Deidara, ex-Explosion Corps, Iwa nuke-nin. Kakuzu, Taki nuke-nin. He fought the Shodaime Hokage. Hidan, Yū nuke-nin, is literally immortal. Oh yeah, Orochimaru was an ex-member. Defected after failing to take Itachi-sempai's body for that twisted jutsu of his. Itachi-sempai's partner is Hoshigaki Kisame. You know, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and wielder of Samehada," Naruto explained.

"But why?"

Naruto shrugged in response. "No idea." Kakashi nodded, and sighed.

"I'll be off then. Information relaying has to be done."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Frankly speaking, that was a horrible chapter. I had to clean up so much of it, because my first version was full of bashing, OOC characters and inconsistencies. Even now, the whole thing still screams 'writer's block', which was my condition when I wrote this chapter.**

**Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers, and thanks for all of the faves and follows. Hopefully I'll be updating soon, but school started recently and I'm a bit stuck on this story.**


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